


Art Fraud

by Just_a_simple_trash_can



Series: Art Thief Au [2]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Art AU, Art thief Auguste, Detective Nikandros, Enemies to Lovers, Light Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 05:17:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13827291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_a_simple_trash_can/pseuds/Just_a_simple_trash_can
Summary: Auguste and Laurent DeVere are dead. That means Nikandros can finally forget everything that had happened between them and he would never have to see Auguste DeVere again. Right?





	Art Fraud

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second part to my Art Thief AU and this was supposed to be the finale, but I have an idea for a third part that will come out soon.  
> Hope you enjoy!  
> Find me on Tumblr at just-a-simple-trash-can

Auguste and Laurent DeVere were dead. The headline was talked about for weeks. After repeated attempts to take the two of them down, the brother’s downfall came in the form of a popped tire and a nosedive into a lake. The officers in the car made it to shore, but after hours of searching, there was no sign of the car itself or the brothers. Being handcuffed in the backseat, there was no way for either of them to escape. Even after three months, it was hard to hear and believe the words ‘The DeVere brothers are dead.’

It was harder for Nikandros to accept. He was driving the patrol car behind theirs when the crash happened. He remembered the feeling of slamming on the brakes as he watched the car lose control before crashing through the barrier and falling into the lake. It was hard to get the image out of his mind. He had seen people die; that was a big part of his job. Gunshot victims died in his arms as he tried to keep them alive and close friends of his bled out next to him during particularly dangerous cases. He couldn’t imagine how the brothers felt, though, being handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser and drowning. Nik rubbed his throat as he thought about it. Their deaths weren’t fair. They were criminals, but people didn’t deserve to die by accidents; it was their life and they deserved to die by their own terms. That was one of the hardest parts of Nik’s job. He saw it all too often; people losing their lives because of someone else’s mistake. It made life so much more difficult when people realized that sometimes, they didn’t get to live a full life.

Nik’s hand tightened its grip on the steering wheel as he slowed to a stop. He ran his free hand over his face and let out a sigh. He needed to stop thinking about it. He was losing sleep thinking about the person he had spent months trying to arrest. It was a waste of time. Auguste DeVere was dead and there was nothing he could do about it. The case was over. Nothing more could be done about it.

Nik finally pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex but despite how tired he was, he sat in his car for a moment. He stared through his windshield in an attempt to process his thoughts before eventually turning off his car and walking to his apartment. In the three months since DeVere’s death, Nik moved apartments and got a German Shepard. Rosco was for comfort more than anything and to help with the fact that Nik went home to an empty two bedroom apartment. He didn’t realize how hard it was to be with someone until he planned to have a one night stand and left before the idea of sex had even come up. He forced himself to pretend that it had nothing to do with DeVere and that he worked too much to give a partner the attention they deserved.

He unlocked his apartment door and walked in, not bothering to turn the lights on. He waited for a few seconds for the sound of seventy pounds of dog to jump off his bed and run for the door, but it never came. Confused, Nik walked to his bedroom, stopping when he heard his T.V. playing the theme song for a show. Putting his hand on his gun, he slowly pushed the door open, his eyes widening at the sight. Auguste DeVere was asleep on his bed with Rosco resting his head on his chest, also asleep. His cat, Mittens, was lazily scratching the pillow above the blonde’s head. Nik lowered his hand and looked at the scene in front of him. It couldn’t be real. But there Auguste was, curled up with his dog and cat and one of his pillows.

Nik walked over as quietly as he could and pressed his hand carefully against Auguste’s cheek. It was warm. He moved his hand, gently caressing the other man’s face. He was alive and in Nik’s bed and sleeping next to his supposed guard dog. Nik let his fingers run through Auguste’s hair before backing away. Several emotions hit him at once and he didn’t know which one to focus on. He put his fingers between his lips and blew a gentle whistle, waking up Rosco. He waved his hand, motioning for his dog to jump off. Rosco did, and instead chose to jump on Nik, suddenly wanting his attention. He scratched the dog’s side, trying to keep him as quiet as he could, but Rosco still barked in excitement, causing the man on the bed to shift in his sleep. Mittens stood up, stretched, and proceeded to walk on Auguste’s face before nestling on his lap.

Nik walked out of the room and distracted Rosco with a treat and filled Mittens’ food bowl in an attempt to get him away from the blonde. It worked, and Nik walked in as Mittens ran into the bathroom. He sat down in his bed, only inches away from Auguste. The blonde was still fast asleep, one arm still wrapped around the pillow and the other being used as a rest for his head, His hair was in a messy ponytail, but a few strands of hair fell into his face and brushed against his forehead. He breathed so lightly, it was hard to tell that he was alive from a distance. Nik admired the view for a few moments before grabbing the pillow from Auguste’s arm and smacking him in the head with it.

“Good morning to you too,” Auguste groaned out, rubbing the spot where he was hit. Blue eyes looked up at Nik and suddenly, he was speechless. Everything he had wanted to say was gone. “I’m sure you have questions.” Nik opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He had hundreds of questions and he couldn’t think of any of them.

“How are you alive?” Nik eventually said. Auguste pulled his hair out of its ponytail and ran his fingers through it a few times.

“I’m not upset, you know. I understand where you came from and-”

“How are you alive?”

“I’ve missed you a lot as well. I know it must be hard to-”

“Auguste.” The blonde froze and looked away. He bit his lip nervously and dug his fingers into the sheets.

“Once the car hit the water, the officers were gone. It wasn’t easy, but we were already unhandcuffed. You know me well enough to know that I had already planned an escape.” Nik hadn’t. “We just had to break out. I tried to break the window while Laurent tried to get the door open. He passed out by the time that I actually broke the window. I pulled him out and swam to the surface as quickly as I could. Laurent wasn’t breathing when we got out of the water, so I performed CPR. He woke up and we immediately started running. We’ve been staying in the shadows since then and eventually, people actually believed that we were dead.” He stopped and looked around the room. “You moved.”

“I...I needed a change.” Auguste leaned forward and rested his hand on Nik’s knee. Nik immediately flinched away and stood up. “Don’t change the subject. How did you get inside?” Auguste took his hand back and closed it into a fist.

“The screen door to your balcony has a broken lock. I was able to jimmy it open. I didn’t expect the dog, but he kind of just jumped on me and licked my face. Your cat bit me a few times and scratched my arm, but that’s it.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Nikandros, right now I just want to kiss you.” That was too hard to hear.

“No.”

“Nik-”

“I can’t.” But he could. Very easily. He could let himself give in and he could kiss Auguste. They wouldn’t fuck (Nik wasn’t prepared for them to), but he could make Auguste gasp and moan like he did the last time they were alone. If he just let himself, he could do what he pleased. He didn’t though and moved further away from the bed.

“You're not attracted to me anymore, are you?” Nik crossed his arms over his chest.

“You know that’s not true.” It wasn’t. Nik was still very much attracted to Auguste, despite how much he told himself that he shouldn’t.

“Then why?” And then, “This is a two bedroom apartment. Are you seeing someone else?” ‘Someone else’ as if they had been seeing each other in the first place.

“No, I’m not. I haven’t- Why are you here? You’re a dead man. You could have gone anywhere. Why did you come back?”

“You know why.”

“No, I don’t. Why me? Why are you so keen on making my life a living hell?”

“It wasn’t you until you sent my uncle to prison for the rest of his life and then came to tell me.”

“At the time, it was the right thing to do.” And it was. Nik still stood by that.

“You kissed me.” He didn’t regret it either.

“I wasn’t in my right mind.”

“We slept together.”

“It wasn’t the first time.” Auguste just stared at him, biting his lip and trying to come up with something to say. “It doesn’t matter why you’re here. You can stay tonight, but tomorrow I want you gone.”  
***  
Nikandros walked into his apartment the next night to find Auguste laying on his couch with Rosco on the floor next to him and Mittens laying on his stomach. He was watching some trivia game show while scratching Mittens. The thing that stuck out the most, though, was the fact that he was wearing one of Nik’s shirts. DeVere was only a few inches shorter than Nik, but Nik was broader. The shirt was clearly too big for him, but maybe that was the point.

“Why are you still here?” The question didn’t need to be answered. Nik already knew the answer and he was just going to gave to deal with it. He just had to convince himself that he wasn’t happy he had someone to come home to.

“I made lasagna,” Auguste said, blatantly ignoring Nik’s question.

“I thought I told you- Wait. You cooked?”

“In an attempt to pay my dues.” Nik looked into the kitchen just to make sure before looking back at Auguste.

“You left the house?” The blonde looked up at him with a smile. It wasn’t his usual cocky smile; it was small and sweet and it did something to Nik’s heart.

“I did. I picked up a few things for you while I was out, too. ” It was far too domestic for Nik’s liking. If it was anyone else...

“I’m...I’m gonna go shower and get cleaned up.” Auguste just hummed in response as Mittens meowed and scratched at his face.

Nik stripped down and walked straight into his shower, not bothering to wait for the water to get warm. It was more of a distraction than anything anyway. Auguste bought him groceries, cooked him dinner, and was currently cuddling with his pets while wearing one of his shirts. Nik ran his fingers through his hair and grabbed a bar of soap, trying to think about anything else. DeVere clearly wasn’t leaving anytime soon, so he was just going to have to deal with it. Or he was going to have to figure out how to deal with it. DeVere was still a puzzle that Nik couldn’t solve. After the crash, he thought his business with the DeVere’s was done. All that was left to do was find the remaining art pieces and return them to their owners. But maybe...If he could get DeVere to trust him, maybe he could get a lead on where they hid the artifacts. It was a long shot, but it was a chance Nik was willing to take.

He got out of the shower and dried himself off, running a towel through his hair before pulling on a pair of sweats. He walked into the kitchen, half expecting to hear some passive comment from DeVere, but heard nothing. As he pulled a beer out of the fridge, (He was out. How did Auguste know what kind he liked?) he glanced at the blonde in curiosity. Auguste just stared at the T.V and let Mittens bite at his hand. A shadow of a smile appeared on Nik’s lips before he cleared his throat and looked at the still warm pan sitting on his oven.

“It’s not poisoned, you know,” Auguste called.

“You bought stuff,” Nik replied, actually considering getting a plate. He drank half a cup of black coffee and forwent lunch to try and find anyone who possibly knew DeVere. The lasagna smelled really good. “Which means you have money.”

“I transferred half on my total savings to a friend of mine and donated the other half to a few charities.”

“You…” Nik opened his beer and took a large sip. “Why don’t you have your own place then?”

“For the same reason I never used a fake name when introducing myself to strangers.” Their first meeting flashed through Nik’s mind. “Getting a fake identity is too risky and too complicated. No one is going to believe Auguste DeVere is alive, either.”

“What about your brother then?”

“Laurent? I couldn't tell you. After the accident, we hid out for a few days until we actually got word that people thought we were dead. We didn’t have our phones with us at the museum and even if we did, you would have taken them after the arrest. He’s still in Delpha somewhere, I just couldn’t tell you where.” Nik hesitated before cutting into the lasagna and taking a slice.

“So what’s your plan? You’re a dead man. No one is looking for you.” Then, “And you’re not staying here.”

“I think your cat would disagree.” Nik rolled his eyes and moved to the dining room table so he could keep an eye on Auguste.

“Mittens likes anyone who feeds and scratches him.”

“His name is Mittens?”

“My sister named him.” Nik took a bite of the lasagna. “And don't change the subject.”

“I’ll leave you to your lonesome once I actually figure out what I’m going to do.”

“Back to art thieving?”

“You know me too well.” The tone was teasing, but DeVere was a mystery. It really could mean anything. Instead of responding, Nik took out his phone where he saw a text from Damen.

7:56 PM From Damen: Call me crazy, but I don’t think the DeVere’s are dead.

Nik choked on his lasagna and put his phone down until he caught his breath. He took another large swig of beer before answering.

8:16 PM To Damen: You’re right. The older DeVere is sitting on my couch right now.

Having second thoughts, Nik quickly turned his phone on airplane mode, stopping the text before it could send. He deleted it and sent a new message.

8:18 PM To Damen: What are you talking about? We both saw the crash. They were handcuffed in the backseat. They couldn’t have escaped.

Nik put his phone back down and went back to his meal. Auguste sat on his couch, paying close attention to whatever show he was watching.

“How did you get back inside my apartment?” Nik asked.

“Same way that I did last night. I just left the groceries at the front door.”

“You’re going to get caught at some point.”

“And you’ll vouch for me, won’t you?” Nik glanced down at his phone and sighed.  
  
8:25 PM From Damen: I could have sworn I just saw Laurent in a cafe on my way home.

8:27 PM To Damen: Why in the name of fuck were you walking by a cafe?

8:28 PM To Damen: Wait which cafe?

8:30 PM To Damen: No

8:33 PM To Damen: NO

8:35 PM To Damen: DAMEN ANSWER YOUR PHONE WHICH ONE DID YOU FUCK IN A CAFE

8:37 PM From Damen: NEITHER OF THEM. I WOULDN’T DO THAT

8:38 PM From Damen: I just went by to see her

8:40 PM To Damen: I will literally kick your ass

8:42 PM From Damen: That’s not important right now. The point is I think they’re alive.

8:44 PM To Damen: Go talk to him then and see if it’s actually him. I’m sure he’s not the only pretty blonde in Delpha.

8:45 From Damen: Twice Nik

Three times, technically.

8:46 PM To Damen: It’s water under the bridge. Go get some sleep Damen. I’ll see you in the morning.

8:46 PM From Damen: You’re right. See you in the morning.

Nik put his phone down and took his plate to the sink. It was empty. He specifically remembered there being a stack of dishes when he left.

“What is your endgame?”

“Do I have to have one?” Nik blacked out for a moment and when he came back to himself, his arm was pinning DeVere to the wall by his throat and icy blue eyes were glaring daggers at him. Nails dug into Nik’s arm but he wasn’t being pushed away. “Stop treating me like I’m a villain. What do I have to do to convince you that I’m not?”

“Don’t act like you’re high and mighty. I know who you are and what you’ve done.”

“You only know who I am because you trusted me enough to be in a room alone with me. I don’t know who you think I am, but-”

“You broke into my house!”

“And you have yet to turn me in. Whose fault is that? The second you saw me on your bed you could have put those cuffs on me and driven me to the station and you didn’t. And for what reason other than you don’t want to try to put me back into prison.”

“What happened to disappearing off the face of the earth after your uncle went to prison?”

“Things...changed.” Nik backed away.

“No. No. Do not tell me that you stayed because of me.”

“Not just because of you, but I will say that you’re a part of it.”

“Go fuck yourself. Get out of my apartment.”

“Is that going to make you feel better? Is that going to help you ignore the fact that at this current moment, you are harboring a criminal-”

“You're dead! You’re not a criminal anymore! That’s the problem! You could go anywhere! Why are you still here?” Auguste answered with a hard kiss to his lips. Nik stumbled back a few steps before pushing him away. “And you need to stop interrupting arguments that way!”

“I did that to keep your mouth shut because someone might call the cops if they hear us yelling!” Nik stopped and took a deep breath. He ignored the burning sensation on his lips, turning on his heel and going to his bedroom.  
***  
Nik was still angry the next morning as he got ready for work. He knew that he needed to relax. Going to work angry was just going to cause suspicion and he didn’t feel like answering questions.

Getting laid would help.

Nik ignored the thought that went through his head as he brushed his teeth. He stared at himself in the mirror and sighed before going back to his room and changing into his uniform.

He didn’t expect an empty couch when he walked into the living room, but the heart pulling domestic feeling returned when he saw Auguste curled up on the couch, only a thin sheet covering him.

“I don’t owe him shit,” Nik hissed out. “I’ve got another bedroom that he can use. He doesn’t have to sleep on the couch.” And yet he still grabbed the comforter from his bed and laid it onto the blonde. He fed Rosco and Mittens and made himself a cup of coffee before grabbing his gear and walking out the door.

Auguste was gone with Nik got back. The work day had gone on longer than usual; Nik’s researching being interrupted by a sudden robbery and hit and run. He stayed at the station longer than usual and didn’t arrive back until almost midnight. He knew something was wrong the minute he walked in. Rosco and Mittens weren’t in their usual spots, but they did run out to Nik when he closed the door, meaning that they weren’t with Auguste. The comforter wasn’t on the couch anymore either.

“Hello?” he called out. “DeVere?” He didn’t get a response. Was DeVere really gone? Had their argument been the breaking point? Nik looked through the entire apartment just in case. It was empty. Auguste wasn’t there. Nik didn’t know if he was concerned or not. He figured that Auguste went out and would find his own way back in sometime before morning. Nik just stripped off his uniform and went to his room to sleep, deciding that Auguste was a problem for morning him.

Auguste was still gone when he woke up. Rosco and Mittens were still on the bed with him. His apartment was still quiet. Nik was concerned in that moment; going out at night wasn’t unexpected, especially for an ex-art thief, but for Auguste not to be back in the morning? Something was wrong.

The balcony door was still locked and the living room was undisturbed. DeVere really had left. Nik felt himself frown as he realized the truth. He was sad, but he didn’t understand why.  
***  
When Nik lived alone before, he didn’t mind it. He had a dog and a cat that he came home to and he worked enough that even if he had someone living with him, he would hardly see them and yet, Auguste being gone affected him in a way that he never thought it would. Auguste had spent two nights at his apartment and they had bickered most of the time that Auguste was there. He had come home to someone, though. Given, Auguste could justifiably be considered Nik’s enemy, but he was still a face to come home to. He knew that he would get over it eventually; it was just hard to go back to being alone.

Nik’s pets seemed to miss Auguste more than he did. Rosco had taken to sitting by the balcony door whenever Nik wasn’t either feeding him or taking him outside. Mittens became more antisocial than before and stayed on the couch where Auguste laid most of the time. It was a sad sight and Nik wished that he knew where Auguste went and why he left. Given the chance, Nik would apologize for the argument if it meant that he didn’t have to come back to an empty house.

Nik drove home three hours earlier than he usually did after Makedon practically pushed him out of the station telling him to have a drink and get some sleep. He listened and decided that he would go to bed earlier to try and catch up on sleep. He pulled into the parking structure and walked to his apartment, continuously rubbing his eyes in an attempt to stay awake. He leaned against the wall of the elevator and closed his eyes until he reached his floor. When he walked out, he was immediately woken up by the sight of his apartment door. Having an apartment close to the elevator had always been convenient especially after long days at work, but it was also a convenient spot for unconscious people to lay.

Nik quickly knelt down next to the stranger and started to check for a pulse when two things hit him at once: the fact that the man was covered in blood and heavily bruised and that the man was Auguste DeVere. Nik pressed a finger to his neck, trying to find a pulse. He was alive, but badly beaten. His hair was a tangled mess mixed with blood, one of his eyes was badly bruised and his lip was busted. Looking at the rest of him, Nik could only assume that the injuries were worse in the spots that he couldn’t see. He unlocked his door and carried the other man inside, quickly bringing him into the spare bedroom.

Nik ran to his bathroom and started to run the hot water while he looked around his apartment for his first aid kit and anything that could be used to clean Auguste up. He brought everything to the bedroom and started to clean up Auguste’s face. Fearing a severe wound, Nik ripped off the other man’s shirt and searched for any deep wounds. He had a few small open injuries, but nothing that was anything life threatening. Nik started to clean up the blood when the body below him started moving. He quickly put a gentle hand on Auguste’s shoulder.

“Don’t move,” he whispered. “You’re badly injured and I don’t know if you have any internal injuries.”

“If they wanted me dead, they would have killed me,” Auguste hissed out. “Let me up. I need to go find Laurent.”

“You were passed out and bleeding in front of my apartment. You’re not going anywhere until you can walk on your own.”

“You care an awful lot for someone you don’t give a shit about.”

“Just shut up and let me take care of you.”

“Bullshit you want to-” Nik rolled his eyes and pressed his lips to Auguste’s in an attempt to shut him up. Auguste then kissed him back, turning one kiss into a couple. Nik lowered his hand so it caressed Auguste’s neck and carefully bit at his lip. Auguste let out a small gasp and ran his fingers through Nik’s hair, pulling him closer. He tasted like blood, making Nik a little more hesitant to continue the kiss. He backed away, but they were still close enough to start kissing again if either of them moved. Auguste’s eyes were still closed and his breathing had gotten heavier. He leaned forward and gently brushed their lips together again, initiating another kiss.

“This…”

“What?”

“Do you want this?”

“Do you?” The moment was ruined by Rosco jumping on the bed and licking Auguste’s face. Nik pulled away and knelt back on the floor, continuing to clean up Auguste’s injuries.

“Get on your stomach. Be careful.” Auguste turned around, burying his face in the pillow. His back was more bruised than bloody. Nik ran his hands over the blonde’s body, checking for any serious injuries. Auguste flinched when his fingers ran over the bruises, but there were no cries of pain.

“It doesn’t feel like your ribs are broken. How do your legs feel?”

“As bad as the rest of me.” Nik frowned. “I can still walk. How do you think I got here?”

“I’ll go get you something for the pain. We’ll wash the blood out of your hair once you can stand.” Nik cleaned up and started to walk away when Auguste grabbed his hand.

“I meant to leave,” he groaned out. “I really did, but then...I didn’t know where else to go after...” Nik knelt down next to the blonde and pressed his hand to his cheek.

“Just stay here and rest.” Nik walked out of the room and started for the kitchen when he saw another blonde haired blue eyed male sitting on his couch. He jumped out of surprise and bumped into the bookcase, getting the attention of the blonde who had been staring down at his phone.

“Where is my brother?” Laurent asked.

“Do either of you know how to knock?” Nik straightened himself out and crossed his arms over his chest. Laurent stood up.

“Where is my brother? I know he’s here.” The younger blonde sported his own black eye. He wore a thin scarf that Nik suspected hid another injury.

“You too, huh?”

“Where is he?” Nik sighed, shaking his head.

“He’s resting. I suggest you-” The blonde ignored Nik and walked right by him. “No, go ahead. Welcome to my house. Can I get you something to drink?” The detective grumbled to himself as he walked into the kitchen. “And how did you know where I lived?!” He didn’t get an answer. He decided just to let the brothers spend their time together and turned the T.V. to on. He grabbed a beer and sat on the couch, drinking out of the bottle slowly.  
***  
Auguste had moved to the couch when Nik got home the next day.

“Hey,” Nik said. “How do you feel?” Auguste just shook his head and pulled the blanket closer to him. “Did you clean your wounds?”

“Laurent helped me this morning before he left. He spent the night. I hope you don’t mind.” Nik took off his jacket and hung it up.

“I don’t. Have you eaten?”

“My stomach hurts. I can’t. How was work?” Nik didn’t want to talk about work. Rosco was still by Auguste’s side and Mittens was sitting on the couch above him.

“I want to know what happened.” Auguste pulled himself into a sitting position. He rolled his neck and rested his hand on his head, looking straight at Nik.

“I threw myself in front of my brother to protect him. We went to go meet up with a couple of associates and things didn’t go as planned. It was my fault. I told Laurent that we should go without backup. I thought that things would be okay, but..” He gestured to himself. “I made sure Laurent left and I took the bulk of the injuries. I walked here and I guess just passed out because of the pain. I’ll leave once I’m back to full health.” Nik walked over to him and brushed his fingers against his cheek.

“You can stay if you want to. I don’t mind.” Auguste’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Quick change of opinion.”

“You’ve been gone for three weeks. You’re a nice face to come home to.”

“You’re going to be coming home to a black eye and a severely bruised body. I don’t know how much you actually want that.” Auguste went quiet. “Work has been stressful, hasn’t it?”

“It’s been fine. No worse than it usually it. It’s a part of the job. I’m used to it.”

“Letting me stay here could put you at risk. The police think I’m dead and and the criminals know I’m not. You could very easily be injured because of me.”

“You don’t have to stay. I’m just giving you the offer. You’re not...as insufferable as you used to be. And how much of a risk can you be to me when you’re not even bothering to steal more art pieces.”

“Who’s to say that I’m not?”

“If you are, they’re not being hidden here.” Auguste smiled and cupped Nik’s cheek.

“I’m smart enough not to hide them in plain sight. I’ll...consider your offer. I have to see what Laurent’s plan is. I can’t leave him and Nicaise alone.”

“You’re a good brother. Maybe we were wrong about you.”

“Absolutely not. I was a criminal and I enjoyed it very much. I just care about my family and those close to me. Laurent and Nicaise are the only family I have left. I just need to make sure that they’re okay. The only part you were wrong about is assuming that I didn’t care. I’d throw myself in front of a bullet for either of them.”

“You’re a good man.”

“So are you. I’ve done my research.”

“I’d...I don’t want to talk about work right now.”

“We can do something else.” They kissed then. It was soft. Gentle. Nik sat down on the couch next to Auguste, gripping his shoulder gently. The blonde moved onto his knees and cradled his face, letting out a small gasp as Nik rubbed his thigh. Nik pulled away and pressed a small kiss to his cheek before standing back up.

“Not now. Not with your injuries. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’ve never minded before.”

“This is different.”

“I just…” Auguste looked up at him, icy blue eyes met dark brown and there was another kiss. Auguste ran his hands down Nik’s chest slowly. He bit at Nik’s bottom lip before pressing his lips to Nik’s jaw and neck.

“What are you doing?”

“Entertaining myself. It gets very boring staying here alone.”

“You’re allowed to leave the house. You already know how to break in.”

“You recognized me immediately. Others will too.”

“You should get that taken care of.” Auguste gently pecked his lips and backed away.

“I will eventually. I’m going to go shower. I’ll be back soon.”  
***  
They weren’t dating. Whatever they were doing, they weren’t dating. They occasionally made out and once since Auguste had ‘moved’ in, Nik had gone down on him. They weren’t dating, though. Nik wouldn’t deny that he had feelings and Auguste was very obviously into him, but they weren’t together. Even if they were together, it wasn’t like he could tell anyone. Auguste was still a wanted criminal and the police car still hadn’t been found, so there wasn’t any definite proof that the DeVere brothers were dead. It was all just speculation. Nik was the only one who knew for sure and Damen only assumed that they were alive. As long as Nik stayed quiet and didn’t bring up Auguste, everything would be fine.

It was nice having someone to come home to, though. If Nik came home early enough, the two of them would have dinner and watch T.V together. Sometimes Auguste would rest his head in Nik’s lap or on his shoulder and fall asleep. Nik would almost forget that he once hated Auguste. He would then either wake up Auguste and have him go to bed or carry him himself. It felt domestic and Nik couldn’t think of anything that he wanted more.

“Auguste!” Nik called out. “I’m home.” There was a sudden loud crash from the bathroom that concerned Nik. “Auguste?” There was another crash before Auguste ran out of the hallway. Nik froze with his jacket half off and just stared at him. The long blonde hair that Nik spent hours running his fingers through had been cut down to an undercut and the familiar blue eyes were behind a pair of glasses. Nik could also see a glimpse of another tattoo underneath the towel Auguste dried his hair with. “Holy shit.” He didn’t look very different, but it was a start.

“I didn’t think you were coming home,” Auguste said. “Weren’t you planning on staying at Damen’s?”

“Plans changed. He’s going out to dinner with his parents tonight.” Nik cleared his throat and dropped his jacket on the table. “The glasses are new.”

“They’re a little more comfortable, too. I’ve gotten so used to wearing contacts that I forgot how much better glasses were. I took your advice and got a change. I might get colored contacts if I’m still too recognizable. What do you think?” He was still very attractive.

“Your hair looks good.” Nik continued as normal, putting all of his gear away and cleared his throat. “How did you do all of this without getting recognized?”

“I’ve done it before. I just keep my head down, my hair hidden, and stay outdoors so I can wear sunglasses. You wouldn’t believe how many people recognize me by just my hair and eyes.” Nik opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind. “I cut my hair myself originally then went to a barber to get the undercut done. I kept my sunglasses on as much as I could while searching for glasses. It’s not that much of a change, but it’s something, right?”

“It’s definitely a change, but you look good.” He looked down at the wounds on Auguste’s chest. “How does your stomach feel?”

“There’s still a dull pain, but it’s not unbearable.” Auguste sighed and dropped his towel. “There’s something we need to talk about.” Nik raised an eyebrow and moved to the couch.

“What is there to talk about?”

“A couple of things.” Auguste leaned back against against the wall, pursing his lips and trying to come up with something to say, stopping himself every time. “Someone else knows I’m alive.”

“Not you specifically. Damen thinks that he saw Laurent a couple of weeks ago at a cafe, but he has no idea about you.”

“Next point then.” Auguste took a deep breath and chewed on his bottom lip, nervously. “What are we?”

“What are we? I...I don’t know.”

“Then that’s something we need to talk about.” Nik really didn’t want to talk about it. Relationships were never his forte. It’s why he hadn’t formally asked Auguste out. He didn’t judge relationships by their covers, but Damen’s relationship with Jokaste had given him a negative viewpoint of couples. He had a few set of flings when he was in college, but he couldn’t remember anytime that he actually dated anybody.

“I’ve never been in a relationship before.”

“Oh.” Auguste’s eyes widened, surprised. “Really?”

“I’ve always been too busy with family or the academy. Now that I’m working most of the day, I haven’t put in the effort. Relationships have never been my sort of thing. I assume it’s different for you.”

“A bit.” Auguste’s cheeks flushed lightly. “Just one more thing.”

“What is it?” Auguste walked towards the couch just as bullets broke through the balcony door, sending glass through the room. Nik quickly tackled Auguste to the floor and covered him, keeping an eye on the door. The bullets suddenly stopped, soon followed by the sound of a car speeding off. Nik ran out the door, faintly seeing a car crash through the barrier gate in the parking lot. He grabbed his radio and called in the incident as he helped Auguste off of the floor. “There’s been a shooting at my apartment. I need immediate back up now.”  
***  
“It was probably Govart,” Auguste said, pressing a bag of ice to his head. “Arguably, he’s my uncle’s right hand man. He was also the man who gave me my black eye. There’s no way that he could know that I’m here, though.”

“He could find out where I lived,” Nik replied, cleaning up the rest of the glass. “I was one of the officers who arrested your uncle.”

“Govart got out of prison a few days after my uncle went in. Word could have passed.” He dropped the bag of ice onto the couch and sighed. “I dragged you into this.”

“Don’t blame yourself. This is my job. My last apartment got broken into twice. Why do you think I got a dog friendly apartment? No one is going to try to break into an apartment with a seventy pound German Shepard.” He threw the glass away and looked at his broken door. “How’s your head?”

“I’ve had worse.” Auguste tossed the bag between his hands. “The officers didn’t recognize me.”

“I noticed that. Though you being unconscious on the couch probably helped. Do you want a drink?”

“Something hard.” Nik tried to hide a smirk.

“Like the floor?”

“You tackled me, you asshole.” Auguste laughed and stretched out on the couch. Mittens jumped up on his couch, rubbing his face against Auguste’s cheek.

“I’d prefer you injured over dead.” Nik poured whiskey into two glasses and brought them over to the couch.

“I prefer you the same way.” Auguste took a sip of his whiskey and smiled. Nik mirrored his smile and took a large drink. “What did Damen say?”

“Nothing much. He’s going to call me a little later to-” Auguste took the drink from Nik’s hand and kissed him. “You do that a lot.”

“I like kissing you.” Auguste slid into his lap and wrapped his arms around his neck. “And it’s the best way to distract from the topic at hand.”

“We can talk sometimes, you know.”

“We do. All the time.”

“There’s a third thing you wanted to talk about.” Auguste distractingly played with Nik’s hair. “Auguste.”

“I really want to be with you. I…It’s embarrassing really. You make me feel safe.”

“My balcony door says differently.”

“That wasn’t your doing.”

“Auguste-” Nik cut himself off and sighed. “I'm not used to this. This is so strange and different.”

“In a bad way?” Nik brushed the hair out of Auguste’s face and pressed their lips together.

“In a great way.” Nik’s phone rang as the next kiss started. Instead of continuing, Auguste slipped off his lap and began to kiss his neck. Nik pulled his phone out and answered the call. “Hey, Damen.”

“How are you doing?” Damen asked. From the sound of it, he was driving somewhere.

“As good as anyone can be after getting shot at.”

“The camera outside your apartment may have caught the car. In the meantime, you should probably move.”

“I can’t. I don’t have anywhere to keep Rosco and Mittens. My balcony door is the only place that could be easily shot at. They wouldn’t try again.”

“I holding you to that. And I meant to ask.” There was a sound of a blinker. “Since when do you have a roommate?”

“He’s not exactly a roommate.”

“Someone you’re seeing then?”

“Kind of. I haven’t told anyone. I’m waiting for it to get more serious.” Auguste bit his neck in an attempt to get a reaction from Nik, who responded by flicking his cheek. Auguste kissed the bite and continued his assault.

“So he was just spending the night?”

“Don’t tell me you’re suspecting him of being a part of this.”

“I’m covering all the corners. I’m just saying that’s it’s a possibility.”

“I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Anyway, I’m gonna cover up the door and go to bed.”

“Alright, Nik. Get some sleep. See you in the morning?”

“I’ll be there.” Nik hung up the phone and was pulled into another kiss. “How do you feel?”

“If I’m staying around, be prepared to ask that a lot.”

“If you stayed out of trouble, nothing would happen.”

“I don’t find trouble. Trouble finds me.” He pressed another kiss to Nik’s lips before standing up. “I’m going to take a shower. You can join me if you’d like.”

“I’ll consider it.” Auguste walked out of the room and Nik sat for a few moments before finishing his drink. His shirt was off before he reached the hallway.  
***  
“Nik!” Auguste gasped out. “Slow down! You’re going too fast. I can’t-” Nik took a glance at the series of dark bruises on Auguste’s neck before continuing, slower, teasing Auguste and taking him apart. “Take me to bed. Now. Please.” Everything had happened so quickly; far quicker than Nik had expected. He walked in and suddenly Auguste was on him, kissing him and digging his fingers in his hair. Nik reciprocated; unwilling to ignore the opportunity. Auguste pulled his shirt off and pulled Nik into a kiss, roughly biting at his lip.

Nik threw the bedroom door open and pushed Auguste onto the bed, pulling off his own shirt. Auguste continued to undress himself while Nik pulled off his pants and grabbed a condom and lube out of the nightstand. He dropped the supplies next to his lover and kissed him again before lowering his head between Auguste’s legs and biting at his thighs.

“Nik!” Auguste bit his lip and pulled at Nik’s hair. “I’m sensitive there.” Nik bit his inner thigh and kissed the injury before moving up further. “Nik! Nik, wait.” He stopped his assault and looked up at Auguste, who was flushed and panting. “I need a minute.” Nik leaned up and kissed him, gently running his hands over Auguste’s body.

Auguste wrapped his legs around Nik’s waist and grinded against him. Nik pulled away, gasping lightly, and moved his head down to Auguste’s chest. Nik licked one of his nipples and teased the other with his hand. His free hand wrapped around Auguste’s cock, moving slowly to tease him.

“Hand me the lube,” Auguste said. “I’ll prepare myself.” Nik instead poured the lube on his own fingers and rubbed them together to warm it up. A finger slid in slowly. Nik kept an eye on Auguste to make sure he was comfortable. The blonde kept his eyes closed and his breathing light. His hand was still tangled in Nik’s curls. Nik pushed his finger in further. Auguste tensed up and let out a small gasp. Nik kissed his lover’s cheek and slid a second finger in, slowly stretching him open.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

“Just hurry up. I’m not made of glass.”

“Your previous experiences would say differently.”

“Shut up or I’ll take over.” Nik smirked into his skin and kissed his neck before pulling away and slipping the condom on. Instead of continuing, Nik simply looked at Auguste until the blonde rolled his eyes and let out a small groan. “Nikandros.”

“Give me a second.” Nik cupped Auguste’s cheek and smiled down at him. “I’m just...admiring.” Auguste’s face flushed and he pushed Nik’s hand away.

“You're ridiculous. Just fuck me already.”

“Bossy, aren't we?”

“Nikandros.” Nik lifted Auguste’s hips and pressed his cock against his entrance. He slid in slowly, pressing feverish kisses to the blonde’s neck and whispering comforting words in his ear. “Nik…” It was whispered almost lovingly.

“Just relax.” Nik pulled out and thrusted in, reviving a small gasp in return. He thrusted again, harder, and wrapped his hand around Auguste’s cock. His free hand intertwined with Auguste’s as he quickened his pace. Auguste’s fingers tightened around Nik’s as he buried his face in the pillow and met Nik’s thrusts. Nik continued to whisper words of comfort in his ear, kissing Auguste where he could reach.

Nik’s phone rang as he continued thrusting into Auguste. He glanced at the night stand where he had dropped it and saw Damen’s caller ID on the screen. He swore, grabbed the phone, and answered it without slowing his pace.

“Damen,” he hissed out, hiding his gasps as best as he could. “I’m a little busy right now.”

“Are you at home?” Damen asked. It sounded like he was running. Auguste moaned from under him.

“Yes. I’m in my bedroom right now.”

“I think I saw someone break into your apartment. They went in through the balcony door.” Nik rolled his eyes and pressed the speaker against his chest.

“Why the fuck is your brother breaking into my apartment?”

“Probably to check up on me,” Auguste whispered back. He was flushed and clearly not in the mood to be interrupted. Nik pressed the phone back to his ear.

“Damen, it’s fine. I’ll handle it.”

“I’m already heading up there,” Damen said. “I’m not letting you handle this alone. Not when there’s already a target on your back.” Nik ended the call and pulled out. He quickly began to pull his clothes back on, cursing his best friend.

“This is a bad time for you to be stopping,” Auguste hissed. His cock was hard and leaking on to the sheets. His hair was messy and his cheeks were flushed.

“You have to stay here,” Nik said, fixing his own hair. “Damen is on his way up here and he can’t see you.”

“Shit.” Auguste got dressed and ran into the bathroom just as there was a loud knock on the front door. Nik ran out of the room and into the living room where Laurent sat on the couch. Without a second thought, he pushed the blonde into one of the bedrooms and answered the door. Damen pushed his way in and looked around.

“There’s no one here, Damen.”

“I know what I saw, Nik.” Nikandros put a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“I’ve been here all night. If someone broke in, Rosco would have started barking.” Damen looked closely as Nik and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Where is Rosco now?”

“Probably in my bedroom. Look, Damen. You’re tired. We both are. Your eyes are playing trick on you. We’re the only ones who are here.”

“Damianos,” Laurent said. “It’s good to see you again.” Both detectives turned their attention to the blonde who was leaning against the wall with a smirk. He stood up straight and walked over to the pair gracefully, almost like a panther stalking its prey. Damen took a step back. Nik cursed and tried to figure out a way to fix everything.

“You’re alive,” he whispered. Laurent raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue.

“You thought I wasn’t? You need to have some more faith in me, Damianos. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I’m also not walking out of here in handcuffs if that’s what you’re thinking.” Laurent turned towards Nikandros. “Isn’t that right?”

“What does that mean, Nik?”

“What it means is that five minutes before you came into that door, your friend was coming into my brother.”

“No!” Nik immediately argued. “That we not what was happening.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I interrupt? Excuse me for not wanting my brother to be fucking a cop.”

“Laurent,” Auguste sighed, walking out of the room. His hair was brushed back and he was fully dressed. There was also a bag over his shoulder. “That’s enough. Don’t talk about things you know nothing about.” He looked up at Damen. “I’ve been using Nikandros’ apartment as a hideout. I’m staying here until Govart and the rest of my uncle’s men stop looking for me.” It seemed almost sincere and honest. Nik looked at him, but Auguste refused to make eye contact. “I’ve been blackmailing Nikandros so he wouldn’t tell anyone that I’m here. I figured lying to a cop was a lot better than getting a bullet in my head.”

“Hold on-” Nik was cut off.

“Laurent is right about one thing. We are still wanted criminals and neither of us is leaving here in handcuffs. We’re leaving on our own or we’re leaving in body bags. Either way, we’re not going to prison.” Nik didn’t know how to feel. Either Auguste was the best actor in the world or he was being completely honest about everything he was saying. And if it was the latter, then that meant...

“Nik,” Damen started. “What the fuck has been going on?”

“I broke into his apartment more than a month ago. My original plan was to blackmail him about the encounters that we had before the crash. It got a little easier when Nikandros starting falling for me. He began to trust me and I used that to my advantage. I was going to stay here for a few more weeks until my uncle’s men gave up. Apparently, my brother had a different idea in mind.” He looked over at Laurent who was admiring his nails.

“I like the game,” he replied. “If we’re leaving, we need to do it now.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Damen snapped, reaching for his gun. Three men ran in through the open balcony door and pointed their own weapons at the officers.

“I’m sorry, Nik,” Auguste said. It was the only thing he had said that actually sounded genuine. The brothers ran out the door followed by the armed men. Nikandros stood in the middle of his living room in shock while Damen ran out the door, yelling into his radio and asking for backup. Instead of following, Nik ran into the guest bedroom and pulled it apart. Underneath the bed were two of the missing paintings, carefully wrapped for protection. Buried in one of the drawers were files on each of the men who had worked for Richard DeVere and underneath them was a list of all the locations where the paintings and artifacts were hidden. Nik thought back to the conversation he had with Auguste.

_“And how much of a risk can you be to me when you’re not even bothering to steal more art pieces?”_

_“Who’s to say that I’m not?”_

_“If you are, they’re not being hidden here.”_

_“I’m smart enough not to hide them in plain sight.”_

Auguste DeVere had been playing Nik like a fiddle since day one and Nik fell for it. He continued to look through the room. In the closet buried under a pile of clothes was a file on Nik, including his address and a rundown of his work schedule that was handwritten. Nik dropped the file onto the floor and swore. He felt like an idiot. He felt...betrayed. What did he expect though? Of course DeVere was using him. Auguste was known for his manipulation. Nik just couldn’t believe that he fell for it.

“Nik!” Pallas yelled from the front room. “Where are you? They’ve got a car! We need to go!” Nik quickly threw on his uniform and followed Pallas out the door.

“What direction were they heading? We’ll take my car.” They ran down to the parking structure and sped down the street, following the series of police sirens and flashing lights. Nik quickly turned away from the other cars and drove down an empty street.

“What are you doing?” Pallas asked.

“Cutting them off. Grab the radio. Get someone to follow me. We need to create a barrier.” Nik broke eighty as two other police cars started to follow him. He grabbed the radio from Pallas as he ran a red light. “This is Delfeur. I need someone to make another barrier on North and Eleventh. Cut them off in every way possible. We are not losing them again.”

“Do you think they’re going to try to leave Akielos?” Nik thought for a moment. They would be out of the department's jurisdiction and it would be up to the Veretian officers to arrest them.

“Not if we stop them first. Call Special Agents Dumont and Leroux. Tell them that we’ve got the DeVere’s.” Pallas made the call just as Nik stopped the car. The two vehicles following him stopped as well, blocking the road. The officers got out of their cars, weapons in hand, and waited until the lights from the other cruisers could be seen. It was time to finish this once and for all. 


End file.
